Overactive Bladder (OAB)

An Overactive bladder is a condition that results from a sudden and unstoppable need to urinate caused by an involuntary contraction of the muscle in the wall of the urinary bladder. The urge may be difficult to suppress, and overactive bladder can even lead to the involuntary loss of urine (incontinence), even if the bladder contains a small amount of urine.

Overactive bladder is a problem with bladder function that causes a sudden urge to urinate, resulting in voiding more than 8 times a day. Overactive bladder is primarily a problem of the nerves and muscles of the bladder, but the reason why it occurs is unclear, and indeed there may be multiple possible causes.

Although it can happen at any age, overactive bladder is especially common in older adults, and as you grow older, you are at increased risk of developing overactive bladder; however, despite overactive bladder being more common among older adults, overactive bladder is NOT a normal part of aging.

Overactive Bladder and Pregnancy

A normal adult bladder will fill to approximately 300 cc of urine before a signal is sent to the nervous system to trigger muscles of the bladder to cause urination; however, most people can voluntarily hold up to 600 cc of urine. These amounts decrease considerably in the later stages of pregnancy. As the baby grows the uterus grows and expands, this places more pressure on the bladder which can produce the urge to urinate more frequently. In addition, starting as early as six to eight weeks into a pregnancy, women often feel an urgent need to relieve themselves much more frequently. This happens in part because the volume of blood in the body increases dramatically, causing the kidneys to filter more fluid resulting in more urine and need for more frequent bladder emptying.

If you believe you have an Overactive bladder, then you should see a Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Gynecology or Urology specialist.